a pleasant day in wales

today was our first day to relax somewhat. yes, it was a full day, but we slept until like 8.00 and took in two very pleasant attractions. first we visited a place called Caerphilly Castle. this one definitely took the prize for coolest castle so far. true, we've only been inside a couple, but when you think ''medieval castle'' you probably think of this one. features of Caerphilly Castle include, but are not limited to, the following:

a moat
concentric defense structure :)
it was built in the 1500's and is still mostly like it was then
it has some ruined/fallen walls, some crooked ones, and some perfectly intact ones
lots of outer walls and watch towers
you can climb on it and explore it
acres of green picnic-ready grass around the moat
no overly zealous tour guides telling you NOT TO TOUCH ANYTHING
nothing that says NO PHOTOGRAPHY
windy circular stairways that you can go on
no gold/velvet/plush/delicate stuff behind red silk ropes
a very impressive Great Hall with fireplaces bigger than people

that was this morning. the afternoon was spent at a place called Llancaiach Fawr. (we still have no idea how to pronounce it.) it's an old mansion circa 1540 that has been fully refurnished (with the servants and everything) to appear like it did during the civil war of 17-something. everyone was in character as servants, cook butcher, recordkeeper, etc. their heavy welsh accents and medieval-english vocabularies made it hard to understand and it seemed really cheesy at first. but they took us through the manor and explained what each room was for, as well as a lot of the actual history of the place and of Welsh life in general. we learned a lot and the people were really funny. what a family-friendly attraction (except for a few of the jokes...we didn't get all of them). :)

i really like the language here. it's europe's oldest living language and it sounds old and mysterous. it reminds of me of the language in Lord of the Rings. for example, mae mynediad i'r digwyddiadau wedi ei gynnwys yng nghost y mynediad os ni nodir fel arall simply means admission to events is included unless otherwise stated. i just like to look at it. and it's quite the experience to hear someone speak it. all the road signs and brochures are in both languages.

the rather unpleasant part of our day was spending probably five hours either on buses or at bus stations. oh the horrors of public transportation and infinitely confusing bus schedules. :)

the towns here are so lovely. the streets are clean and 'tidy' and the houses are all made of stone and the people are very willing to help us. a lot of people have just come up to (you'd almost think we look/sound foreign) and offered guidance to bus stations, hostels, etc. also, most people smile as if by default. this seems like such a pleasant, happy area. several older couples have started conversations with us and are (almost annoyingly) eager to divulge the treasures their country has to offer. it seems to be a shame that this very proud but unpretentious people, with their unique and distinct history and language, can't even claim Wales as a sovereign nation. no, i don't know a whole lot about it. but i think they should be.

that's today's news. thanks again for your prayers and thoughts.
MOI